you said. why did you even make that comparison to hitler on gas attacks? as you know, 6 million jews killed in the holocaust. many of them with poison gas. >> thanks for having me, wolf. i was obviously trying to make a point about the heinous acts that assad made against his own people last week using chemical weapons and gas. and frankly i mistakenly used an inappropriate and insensitive comment about the holocaust and there is no comparison. for that i apologize. it was a mistake to do that. and you know, i appreciate director panetta's comments and will keep those in mind. >> tell us who you're apologizing to right now. there are holocaust survivors out there who were listening to what you said and couldn't believe a spokesman, the press secretary for the president of the united states, would make such a statement. so just specifically tell us who you want to apologize to. >> clearly, anybody who not just

suffered in the holocaust or descendant of anybody, but frankly, you know, anyone offended by the comments, it's not, as i said, i'm not in any way standing by them. i was trying to draw a comparison for which there shouldn't have been one. it was insensitive and inappropriate. i'm not looking to quantify this in any way. it was an attempt to talk about -- i should have stayed folksused on the assad reseem and the dangers they brought to their own people and terrible atrocities they did and to drag any other comparison was not appropriate. >> why make the comparison at all? why bring hitler into this? >> again, i'm not going to try to quantify, wolf. it was a mistake. i shouldn't have done it. i won't do it again. i think director panetta's comments were well received, his advice. but it was an attempt to do something that shouldn't have been done. that's all can i say about it. there is no explaining it at this point. just to say that especially this week, it was not snag was inappropriate and it was

insensitive and look, i think i should have stayed focused. the president took divisive action last week to bring an end to the crisis in syria. take action that hadn't been taken the last six years and the focus should have stayed on the president's action and not in any type of way of drawing anything into this. >> did you not know, sean, there were gas chambers where the nazis brought jews and oeshlgth gypsies, and mostly jews, to other death camps. >> yes, clearly, i am aware of that. there is no attempt to clarify. the point was to try to talk about the use of aircraft as a means by which assad was using this to gas his people. but it was a mistake to do that. and again that's why i should have stayed on topic and stayed on the atrocities that assad did to his people.

>> have you spoken to president trump about your blunder today? >> it was my blunder, as you put it correctly. and i came out to make sure we stay focused on what president is doing and his decisive action. i need to make sure that i clarify and not with in any way shape or form any more after distraction from the president's decisive action in syria and attempts he is making to destabilize the region and root out isis out of syria. my goal now and then was to stay focused on assad and i should have an i will continue to make sure that i stay in my lane when i talk about that. >> i want to move on talks about other key issues. but can we assume the president encouraged you to come out and apologize? >> you can assume that i realized that i had made a mistake and i did not want to be a distraction to the action the president has taken and i sought to clarify that. >> it is an important clarification. especially for the few holocaust survivors still out there right now and were obviously very

shocked to hear what you had to say but i think it is very important that you came out to formally apologize and correct it. let's talk about syria right now. is it believed from your perspective, and i know have you been well briefed that russians played direct role in the attack? >> there is no consensus within the intelligence community at this time. they evolve situation on the ground and initial consensus. however, it does not lead one to believe that they can say conclusively that there is a russian involvement. >> they do believe russia is trying to cover up from the assad regime and culpability. can you trust russia to find some diplomatic stlugs syroluti syria. >> when you look at syria, north korea and iran, that's somewhere

you want to stand. russian signed international agreements along with syria saying they would not possess chemical weapons. never mind use them on their own people. i this that i russia continues to find itself isolated in their stance. >> does the president believe assad must go? >> sure. but i think the question is, our number one priority is to make sure to bring stability to the region and root out isis out of there. there is no way can i see a stable and peaceful syria with bashar al-assad in charge. >> bashar al-assad, i know you mispronounced his name a few times, but it is bashar al-assad. i know the president that you suggested yesterday, the president trump might react if barrel bombs these awful weapons of mass destruction were used again. the later you said no new policy. could you clarify precisely where the president stands on the use of barrel bombs if there is another so-called red line? >> i think it is a combination

after bunch of things. i made very clear yesterday that unlike the past administration we aren't drawing red lines in the sand. there are a combination of lines crossed last week. particularly the use of chemical weapons against babies and children, that made the president want to take decisive action which he did. and in the world community both here, at home and around the world heads of state responding with widespread praise because of that. >> we need to go but let me ask you one final question. as you know, you're the press secretary for the president of the united states at the white house, this is not the first time your comments from the white house, from the lecture in there have been criticized. are you worried, sean, that you have a credibility problem right now? >> no. i think this is why i'm here right now, wolf. clearly, as i said earlier to you, to your audience, when you make a mistake, you own it. my comments today did not reflect the president's. it was a distraction from him. and frankly, misstated,

insensitive and wrong, and i wanted to clarify them as soon as possible. i appreciate you having me on. but one of the things that i think is important is we all make mistake. you have made mistakes. other outlets. me. hopefully we have a bit of forgiveness in us and i hope that people understand when i make a mistake i would own it and i ask people for their forgiveness. >> sean spicer, good of you to come out and apologize to the american people, indeed to people all over the world